Is China gearing up for a war in Doklam?
Raising alarm bells for India, an article in the Chinese state-run daily Global Times has indicated that China may be planning a "small-scale military operation, to expel Indian troops lingering on its territory". The article further mentioned that India should take comments on the incident made by over six ministries and other institutions in the past 24 hours as a signal regarding the same!
Context: Sikkim standoff
Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in a standoff along the LAC in the Doklam region, near the Sikkim border. Both have accused each other of transgressing into the other's territory and have mobilized troops in mass numbers.
How does China view the Doklam standoff?
China maintains that Indian troops have transgressed into its territory, and has repeatedly cited withdrawal of troops as a precondition for negotiations. Possibly reflecting the Chinese Communist Party's views, Chinese media reports have portrayed India in a negative light, often sending sharp warning signals to India. A recent Chinese foreign ministry statement had further slammed India for trespassing into Chinese territory.
Is China preparing for war against India?
Increasing Chinese naval presence in the Indian Ocean and frequent military exercises in the Tibetan plateau had triggered speculations that China may be preparing for a war. Quoting Chinese scholar, the Global Times article argued that, "Sino-Indian ties are severely damaged" and that "India would face consequences". Another Global Times editorial further indicated that the PLA is ready for a military confrontation with India.
Global Times takes the India warning scale up a notch!
"It is a war with an obvious result," the editorial said. "The Modi government should be aware of the PLA's overwhelming firepower and logistics.... If a war spreads, the PLA is perfectly capable of annihilating all Indian troops in the border region", noted the Editorial.
Meanwhile, China briefs Nepal on Doklam standoff, India frowns
As the Doklam standoff is boiling over, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Chinese vice-premier Wang Yang are set to visit Nepal in the next couple of weeks. The Deputy Chief of the Chinese mission in Nepal reportedly briefed his counterpart on China's position on Doklam. India worries that China might appeal to the anti-Indian constituency in Nepal resulting in India losing Nepal's support.
What is India's position?
Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar and Sushma Swaraj had stated that India would prefer a diplomatic dialogue with China. Gopal Baglay, MEA spokesperson further said that war is not an option and hinted that he doesn't wish to respond to provocative articles in the Chinese media.
